The exotic flavor of this dish was really surprising to me, considering it uses only a few very basic ingredients. Just note that the rice noodles do stick together slightly (rice noodles are very starchy so they can be a bit sticky). Adding a touch of olive oil keeps them manageable. Sticky or not, I love them, especially used here in this delicious Asian-inspired dish, reminiscent of those super popular boxed noodles. It’s sophisticated enough for guests, yet your kids will love it, too! Note that though these noodles might seem scary to the novice, they’re incredibly easy to work with. Try to keep them as intact as possible when pulling them apart. Pull them the long way, so the noodles stay longer, instead of being broken in half. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, just estimate and use about 1/4 of a 16-ounce package.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　2 cups 100% orange juice (not from concentrate, preferably no pulp)

　　1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce, or more to taste (chili paste is okay too)

　　4 ounces uncooked angel hair rice noodles (look for them in the international section of your local grocery store)

　　1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

　　Sea salt to taste

　　

Step 1

Bring the orange juice to a boil in a medium nonstick saucepan over high heat. Add the chili garlic sauce and rice noodles. Boil the noodles, stirring occasionally (using a nylon pasta fork, if possible), for 2 to 4 minutes or until they are just soft and almost all of the orange juice is absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the olive oil. Allow the noodles to stand for about 2 minutes to cool slightly and to absorb the remaining juice. Season with salt. Serve immediately.

　　

nutrition information

Step 2

Each (generous 1/2-cup) serving has:

　　

Step 3

Calories: 166

　　

Step 4

Protein: 2g

　　

Step 5

Carbohydrates: 37g

　　

Step 6

Fat: 1g

　　

Step 7

Trace Saturated Fat

　　

Step 8

Cholesterol: 0mg

　　

Step 9

Fiber: 2g

　　

Step 10

Sodium: 24mg

　　Reprinted with permission from I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening! by Devin Alexander. Copyright © 2010 Devin Alexander. Published by Clarkson Potter Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Devin Alexander is the author of The Most Decadent Diet Ever, Fast Food Fix, and coauthor of The New York Times bestsellers The Biggest Loser Cookbook and The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook. She was a chef on NBC's The Biggest Loser and the host of Healthy Decadence on Discover Health and FitTV.